


Get Me Through

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Bottom Eren Yeager, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eren is actually just a giant child who thinks he can adult, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Long-Haired Eren Yeager, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Mom Hange TM, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Poor Eren Yeager, Poor!Eren, Rich Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Rich!Levi, Swearing, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Vague Sugar Daddy Vibes, but it's not, it's not though it just seems like it, writer!levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-08-23 00:35:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16608473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Eren Yeager is going through an extremely tough situation in life right now. When all hope is lost, a blunt, rude stranger may be able to turn his life around.





	1. Broken Plate

**Author's Note:**

> So this was very rushed because I just wanted to kinda get the ball rolling. I'll probably come back to fix and edit this chapter later.

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN! PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 8 TO READ IT! ALL OLD CHAPTER WILL BE DELETED ONCE THE REWRITES ARE FINISHED!**

A cloud of frosted breath escaped as a sigh emerged from chapped lips. His own footsteps breaking the small blanket of snow covering the sidewalk filled his ears, somehow reminding him of just how cold outside really was during winter, a fact that he had forgotten due to him usually possessing a warm, heavy jacket to cover his freezing body. He promptly picked up the pace. The man's destination was not that far, but being out in the frozen snow made the journey seem so much longer. A shiver ran up his spine as he crossed his shivering arms over his chest. As his feet quickly shuffled along, a swaying red sign came into view. 'The Survey Corps' written in golden calligraphy some how made him shudder more than the cold itself. An odd choice to name a bakery, sure, but he wasn't about to complain. He didn't particularly care what the place was named, as long as they paid him. Another sigh left him before he reached the double glass doors. A shaky hand grabbed the handle, but a strong force shoved him back before he could even think about opening it. 

"You're late, Yeager. Again." A strong voice entered his ears. Eren looked up to see the bushy eyebrowed owner himself, Erwin Smith, stood above his form. His eyes glared down at him, before he reached his hand out to help Eren back to his feet. 

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again." He spouted before he squeezed his way past the tall man, desperately needing to get out of this cold. A wave of warmth washed over him, instantly causing relief to engulf his entire being. A groan escaped his lips.

"You said that last time." Erwin began ushering Eren to the back, shoving a pickle shaded apron at him in the process. He rolled his eyes before tying the ugly thing around his waist while shuffling to the kitchen. In the morning, he was SUPPOSED to help arrange the breads and pastries onto the pans and bring them up front to place on display. However, due to his recent lateness, the job was usually almost done by the time he entered the building. Like usual, the first smell that hit him was the buttered rolls. He looked over his shoulder at Erwin, puppy dog eyes equipped. Erwin simply waved his hand and Eren immediately grabbed the first roll and shoved it down his throat. 

"Listen, Eren. I care about you, but you cannot keep showing up late to work. It's not fair to everyone else." Erwin's arms were crossed, a serious expression across his features. 

Eren sighed. "Yes sir. I understand. Things have just been rough." 

Erwin said nothing as he clapped a large hand onto his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance before turning to leave the room. Erwin was well aware of Eren's situation and he had been incredibly kind to the man so far, but perhaps he had been pushing his luck. He did not mean to show up late, but his shitty alarm clock was broken. He knew that that sounded like an excuse, but it was the truth. And he can't afford to buy a new one. 

With one final huff, he placed a pair of plastic gloves on, and got to work. 

~

"Geez, Eren. You look horrible." Jean Horseface Kirsten stood by the cash register, nose scrunched up as his eyes searched Eren's form.

"Gee, thanks dude." He shoved the trey of fresh baked oatmeal cookies into place, before turning to his 'friend'. He was well aware he look disheveled and he did not need Jean there to remind him, especially since he was already having a rough morning.

"Like, you could've at least brushed your hair. It's fucking everywhere!" Eren ignored the comment and made his way to the second cash register. Glaring out into the room, he was met with emptiness, a fact that surprised the brunette. Usually the place was bustling, especially on a cold day like this. All of the locals usually poured into the dimly lit building to try and buy warm treats to heat there stomachs and get away from the freezing whether. 

"Where is everyone?" 

Jean's eyes stopped staring at Eren's messy mop. "Oh. I don't know. People probably are avoiding the snow." 

That's stupid. Eren walked through the snow and he was just fine.

"ACHOO!" Okay. Nevermind.

"Watch it, Yeager! You're going to contaminate the food!" Jean jokingly shouted. Eren rolled his eyes for the up tenth time and rubbed his arms, attempting to make his chilly body a bit warmer. God, he hoped he was not catching a cold. He was not sure if he had any medicine stored away somewhere in his tiny apartment, and if not, he certainly could not afford to go buy more. 

A familiar ring emerged from the the doorway, and Eren's eyes perked up, fake smile already plastered onto his features. "Hi, welcome to-"

"ERWINNNNN!" A loud, shrill voice invaded both Eren and Jean's eardrums causing them both to grimace in discomfort. Ereb's eyes opened to find the source of the annoyingly loud voice. It was none other than Hange Zoe, a close friend of Erwin. She came in commonly but never bought anything. She would just steal whatever she fancied from the display and munched it down before anyone could stop her. The energetic woman ran into the building, eyes frantically searching around the room. "Where's Erwin? I've got such a surprise for him!" 

"Hange, if you've caught another squirrel to terrorize the bakery, I've got written permission to throw you out." Hange quickly shook her head at Eren.

"No, pipsqueak! It's better than a squirrel. Now where's Erwin?" She bounced up and down, hands curled up into tiny balls as she did so. With a worried look, Jean pointed his thumb toward the back room where Erwin was probably going over finances. A high pitched squeal emanated from her twitching frame. She sprinted to the back as fast as she could. Eren and Jean exchanged looks as a small scuttle could be heard. After some time, the woman emerged, dragging the severely larger man behind her in an iron grip. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the room, before turning and facing the two workers like she owned the place.

"Alright boys, go the fuck home!" She suddenly announces. Jean immediately began to untie his apron, while Eren stared in shock.

"Wait what?"

"That's exactly how I feel, Eren." Erwin turns to Hange. "Give me one good reason why you stormed in here to try and attempt to force me to close early?" 

"Because we must prepare, ya giant!" Hange smacked his arm in annoyance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Disbelief was obvious on the messy haired-woman's face as her mouth hung open cartoonishly. 

"What the fuck do you mean-Oh wait. I haven't told you yet." She suddenly stood up straight and dramatically cleared her throat. "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this...BUT LEVI'S COMING HOME!" She bounced into Erwin's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck in excitement. 

"Wait, Levi is coming home? You're not trying to pull a stupid prank on me, are you Hange?" He attempted to pull away from the woman's snake-like hold, but she would not budge. 

"Of course not, silly! He's finally coming home AND get this, HE'S THINKING ABOUT STAYING!" She screamed once again into his ear.

Who the hell is Levi, and why was he so important? Eren knew Hange had a habit of over exaggerating things, including her own reactions, but the look of Erwin's usually stone face seemed shocked, as well. The jingle of bells dragged Eren out of his thoughts. His eyes traveled to see Jean trying to walk out the front door, taking Hange's order seriously apparently. 

"Wait right there, Kirschtein." Erwin's voice boomed. Jean's body hunched over a bit in disappointment as he turned to face everyone. "Look, Hange. I'm not going to close down shop just because of Levi."

Hange's eyes widened after hearing such blasphemy from her blonde companion. "B-But...WHY?! It's not like you have many customers anyway!" She gestured to the empty wasteland of a bakery. Just send the kids home and we can prepare for the Second Coming!" 

Erwin sighed. "Because that's bad for business. How about when Levi gets here, you bring him over to the shop and we can catch up here. I'm not cutting work hours to say hi to an old friend."

Hange gasped. "What the hell, Erwin?! Since when did you become so fucking rude?! Just wait till Levi hears this!" She quickly stormed out of the building, but not before picking up a plate and shattering it onto the tile, of course. Eren never understood the odd friendship between the two opposing personalities, especially since Hange seemed to cause a lot of property damage. 

"Kinda scary that she's a zoologist. Those poor animals..." Jean shook his head from where he stood, mock sympathy for the innocent creatures that Hange probably tortured.

"Clean up that plate, Kirschiten." Was all Erwin responded, before making his way back to the little office stationed back there. 

If this 'Levi' was anything like Hange, Eren sure hoped he'd somehow get off early to miss it. Who knows how many plates would be thrown then...


	2. Forgotten at the Airport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hange forgets to pick up Levi from the Airport. It's okay though because there is the very brief, very anti-climatic meeting of our Eren and Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for almost 30 kudos just on chapter one! I'm really excited for this fic and I'm hoping to get a clear updating schedule since I'm slowly becoming more and more free.

_**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN! PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 9 TO READ.** _

The hum of the plane surrounded the passengers. Some found it relaxing, deciding to take a nap and loudly snore, aggravating the other occupants. Others seemed to be incredibly frightened by the whole ordeal, their quicken breath could be heard from the next aisle over. Levi, however, simply found the entire experience incredibly annoying. He had always hated flying, despite having to do so for the past five years. Earplugs usually made the experience a tiny bit more tolerable, but just his luck, he had somehow forgotten them in his hotel room in D.C., the last stop on his worldwide book tour. His book, "Judge of the Angels", has somehow become a worldwide phenomenon, a fact that completely baffles him to this day. Who knew that a cheesy love story that was self-published could go on to be printed in so many languages and read by women and men alike. It just did not make any sense to him, and even though he was happy to have the cash, he kind of felt like he did not deserve it. He placed minimum effort into writing that book and decided to publish it on a whim, but he somehow became a celebrity because of it while there were others out there pouring their hearts and souls into their novels and won't even be looked at twice. It just didn't sit well with him. This wealth almost seemed like it belonged to somebody else.

Anyway, he was relieved he finally was coming home. Incidentally, he had sold his house a long time ago, so his good friend Hange was willing to allow him to stay at her place until he found a new one, which won't be a money issue, just an issue of being a picky person. But hopefully, it won't take too long because he was not sure how long he could stand Hange. Yes, she was his friend, but she also was a messy, loud individual who's soul purpose was to annoy everyone around her. She never cleaned up after herself and probably only showered once a month. Her voice was always turned up to max volume that even a deaf person would be able to pick up her wavelengths. Levi was her friend but it wouldn't be below him to knock her out to give himself and the rest of humanity a break from such a strange creature. Maybe he could convince Erwin to allow him to crash at his house for a few days before he murdered Hange?

"Everyone, please fasten your seat belts. We will begin our descent shortly." An old, tired voice sounded over the intercom. Levi sighed as he did what he was ordered. 

After exiting the plane and entering the airport, Levi immediately made his way to the parking lot. Even though he felt like he was starving, he passed the overly expensive cafes and little pretzel shops the building slapped in there. He wanted-no NEEDED to get home. He was fucking tired of this place, even though he just arrived. He hadn't visited his hometown in months and was eager for a rest. No more airports. No more bag checks. No more annoyingly happy flight attendants. Just home. 

~

"Hange, where the hell are you?" His voice bit into the phone. He had been wandering the parking lot for twenty minutes, but for the love of God could not find the messy-haired woman's truck. Did she get a new vehicle or something and didn't bother to inform him?

"Oh, Levi! I can't wait to see you! I'm at my house." 

Levi's jaw clenched. "At your house, you say?" 

"Uh-huh! I was just at the Survey Corps, but Erwin was being a little bitc-"

"Hange...do you not fucking recall our conversation from last night? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO PICK ME UP FROM THIS SHITTY AIRPORT!" He shouted into the device, causing many strangers to stare at him while they passed by.

She laughed nervously. "O-Oh yeah...I probably was not listening too well." He envisioned her scratching the back of her head as she used to always do when Levi would fuss her. Man, he really wanted to shove his boot down her throat. 

"Yeah, no shit." Levi kicked a nearby rock in frustration. Great. He was going from a first class flight to sitting on a filthy bus, surrounded by disgusting individuals who probably have never seen a bathtub in their entire lives.

"W-Well, stay right there! It's only like a thirty-minute drive. I'll even run a few red lights to get to ya!" Shuffling and the sound of keys could be heard in the background.

"Don't fucking skip lights-" 

Beeeeeep. Did this bitch really just hang up on him? With a heavy sigh, Levi trudged his way out of the cold and back into the airport, luggage in tow. He found the closest bench and plopped down, pulling out his phone to browse FaceBook or some other useless shit while he waited for Hange. This was going to feel like an eternity.

~

After about twenty-five minutes, his phone vibrated in his hand, causing him to jump slightly in surprise. The caller ID read 'Shitty Glasses'.  He answered it immediately.

"You here?"

"Oh hey, Levi! Yeah, I'm just out- MOVE THE FUCK OUTTA THE WAY! I'm just out front. Well, I think this is the front. I've never been here before." Silence. "DON'T HONK AT ME YOU WHORE! Just come and find me, Levi."

With a roll of his eyes, he stood up from his spot and exited the large glass doors to peer out into the lot. He noticed a large grey pickup truck with mud caked to the side of it and the passenger window had been cracked. He spotted Hange sitting in the driver's side, holding up both middle fingers to the car that was passing by, presumingly the car she was yelling at on the phone. After gently placing his belongings in the bed of the truck, he walked up and lightly tapped on the window with his knuckle. Hange snapped out of her 'flip the bird' trance and shot her head toward him. A squeal could be heard before she threw herself over to his side, having to unlock the door manually. After Levi pulled it open, Hange grabbed him by the arm, tugging him inside and trapping him in a bear hug.

"Ah, my little munchkin! I've missed you so much!" She nuzzled her face into his raven hair aggressively, causing it to spike up a bit.

"Oh my god, get the fuck off, Shitty Glasses. I haven't missed you at all." He shoved her body. Surprisingly, she let him go and placed her hands onto the steering wheel. 

"You wound me, Midget." The bespectacled woman gave a fake pout, before pressing her foot on the gas. "So first we're going to the bakery to convince Erwin to leave. After that, we can go get shitfaced! But let me tell ya, it's gonna be tough. He's turned into such a hard ass! You won't believe what he said, Levi! He said-"

Levi quit listening to her rambling. Even though he had spoken with woman constantly on the phone (to her insistence, of course), hearing her in person truly made him want to choke her with a rope. Don't get him wrong, Hange is one of his closest, most loyal friends and he would do anything for her, but that does not mean he wants her to speak 24/7. 

Looking around, he noticed many empty McDonald's cups and bags, causing the raven to grimace. The smell of rotten food also was prevalent in the truck along with many unidentified stains, causing the feeling of vomiting to make its to his stomach. He looked over to Hange to fuss her, but could not help but be frozen by the spit flying out of her mouth as she yelled and raved about something...

Maybe taking the bus would indeed have been cleaner.

-Eren's POV-

Jean left about an hour ago, something about a family emergency, but Eren knew he was lying. Jean was just making an excuse to leave early so he could avoid cleaning duty. He guessed he deserved it for getting to work late, but morning duties aren't even close to being as hard as closing duties. There was a lot more cleaning involved and counting money which meant math and Eren HATED math. He sighed as he wiped down the counter. There weren't many customers, but he still had to clean like a bunch of people who just came from mud wrestling invaded the place. Since the Survey Corps was a food establishment, he guessed it was necessary, but he still thought it was a little overkill.

"Eren, have you counted the registers yet?" Erwin emerged from the back room, coat on but probably not ready to leave. 

He shook his head. "No, Jean clocked out early like a douche so I have to do everything."

Erwin huffed. "That boy is so lazy." He walked over to the right register and began to count its contents, relieving Eren of some of the workload. 

Eren's emerald eyes glanced over to the clock positioned on the wall. "It's getting late. Is Hange coming back?" 

"Probably. The way she was talking earlier you'd think Levi would've been arriving within the hour." Erwin now had a stack of twenties in his hand, peeling through them as if they were pages from a book. 

Eren's eyes shifted toward him. "Would you mind me asking who this Levi is? No offense, but if he's like Hange, I don't particularly feel like sticking around to see that concoction."

Erwin actually let out a small chuckle at his words, shaking his head in amusement. "No. No. He's nothing like Hange, almost the opposite really. He's just an old friend who's been gone for awhile." 

Eren blinked at this response. If this person is also divergent of Hange like Erwin was, then why the fuck do they tolerate her?! She's a health hazard to them and everyone in a nearby five by five radius. "So why do you guys-"

"ERWINNNNN!" Hange's voice sounded muffled through the locked glass doors. She slammed one of her hands against the clear barrier. The other held onto the wrist of a stranger, who's appearance was mostly shielded by Hange's flailing form. "Open up! Our Messiah has arrived." She stated in a sing-song tone. 

His eyes widened, and Erwin immediately re-locked the register. Eren had never seen Erwin stuck in such an expression, and it honestly frightened him a bit. Erwin's feet staggered from behind the counter to the waving Hange. Eren couldn't help but feel nervous for the tornado that was about to explode into the building, especially when he just swept and mop. Erwin unlocked the doors, giving Hange the opportunity to push the door open, nearly knocking the blonde giant over. 

"I come bearing a gift." She soon dragged in a short, constipated looking man. A deep, threatening scowl was present of his incredibly pale features, grey eyes squinting at the bakery around him. The first thing Eren noticed was how clean and perfect the man appeared to be. His equally black sweater and jacket did not possess a single wrinkle and his boots appeared to be freshly polished for their shine almost caused Eren to go blind. The man also had neat undercut and the rest of his onyx hair looked as if it had never been tangled in his life. His gloved hand somehow wiggled its way out of Hange's grip, a skill that impressed the brunette. He's never seen someone escape Hange's grasp so easily.

"Well, at least this place looks a hell of a lot better. Can't say the thing about you, Eyebrows." His deep voice filled the bakery, almost causing Eren to flinch. He wasn't quite sure why though. 

Erwin laughed. "And I've missed you too, old friend." Erwin walked forward, giving who was presumingly Levi a brief hug, clapping him on the back few times, something that seemed to agitate the raven. "You'll need to inform me of your adventures, Levi. I'm sure lots has happened over the past five years."

"And what about you? I can't be the only one who's been busy. This place is huge now compared to that shitty space you had before. Did you knock down a couple walls or something?" Levi leaned on a nearby table, not even once glancing up to meet Eren's gaze, something the green-eyed boy found rude, but he surely wasn't going to be the first to say something. He continued to wipe down the counter, noticing a coffee stain from early when Connie came by and ordered five coffees. Whether he was with someone or he was going to drink them all was never stated but Eren at the moment did not care. 

"Actually yeah. I bought the old tea shop next door and expanded the building. Hange and Eren helped with the demolishing, of course."

Hange swung her arms down like she was holding onto a hammer, almost hitting Levi. The latter of which's face was now morphed into confusion.

"Who the hell is Eren?" This caused Hange to gasp loudly before rushing over the 19-year-old's side and trapping him in a hug. 

"What do you mean 'Who the hell is Eren'?! Is that some sort of joke or- Wait I haven't told you yet." Eren sighed loudly, dropping his head low and waited for the Hange to release him from her grip. When she continued to hug him, he looked up to lock eyes with the raven.

"I'm Eren, sir. I work here." 

"He's also Erwin and I's fake adopted son. And he's also a big help around here! " Hange added, causing both him and Erwin to roll his eyes. 

Levi shot a curt nod towards him. "No need for 'sir', kid. Just Levi will do." 

Eren nodded. An awkward silence then crept its way through the room, making everyone uncomfortable. What was even weirder was Hange was still hugging him for no reason, surely making them both look like dumbasses. Erwin cleared his throat. "Um well, Eren you can go home early. I'll take care of everything else." He made a quick glance towards Levi before setting his gaze back toward Eren. 

"Um. Yes, sir." Hange was quiet now. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before mumbling something about 'be safe'. And with that, Eren hung up his apron and exited the building, Levi's eyes trained on him the whole time.


	3. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi learns a bit about Eren's past and Hange gets pissed.

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN! PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 10 TO READ!**

The first thought that ran through Levi's head was that this kid wasn't from around here. There were two things that gave it away. One, Levi knew everyone in this town for it was small, and two, no one (and he means no one) looked as exotic as this Eren did. Everything about the brat screamed attractive from his thick long hair tied into a bun to his flawlessly tanned skin. He also possessed the most beautiful eyes Levi had ever seen. Blue-green orbs staring at him with nervousness and slight annoyance. If he looked hard enough, he could catch flakes of gold reflecting from his sockets when the light hit him in a certain way. This brat was definitely new around here.

"Mind explaining who that was?" He asked after Eren walked out into the snow, noticeably without a jacket. His voice was its usual monotone, but he was actually interested. Not so much by his attractiveness (as he's had many beautiful lovers in his lifetime), but by the odd way Erwin seemed around him and Hange's overprotectiveness. She grabbed him in a hug like he was a puppy Levi was about to kick and Erwin had a look on his features that screamed he was nervous, something he didn't even know the blonde could feel. 

Hange and Erwin exchanged looks, almost daring one another to be the first to speak. Eventually, Erwin let out a sigh as he crossed his arms. "Well since you're back, I guess you should be informed, though I'm not a fan of speaking of other people's business." 

Hange stiffened as Erwin began. "We ourselves do not actually know much about the exact situation, but from what we've managed to pry out of him is that he left home when he turned seventeen for one reason or another and was struggling to make ends meet." He paused. "Well, still is struggling."

Levi furrowed his brow. This was what they were so jumpy about? A brat runs away from home and now is having trouble making money. Big deal. "I don't see why this was such a big issue then."

"I know you're going to get mad at me but wait till I finish." Hange blurted out. She was nervous rubbing her hands together. "So I met Eren about two years ago. One night while I was driving home from the animal hospital, I saw this random kid standing out on the street in the middle of winter with like barely any clothes on. So I pulled over- Don't give me that look Levi. I pulled over and asked if he was okay. Long story short, turns out he's a teenage prostitute."

Levi stared. "You're telling me you picked up a fucking prostitute." 

"He was seventeen, Levi! You should've seen of skinny he was! The poor thing was starving." She threw her hands up in the air. 

"That's still dangerous you idiot! What if he robbed you?" Levi was not impressed. He was a prostitute, not a stray cat. If this is what Hange does when he leaves, he might as well just stay forever. 

"Well, he didn't, so shut up."

"I had that concern to Levi," Erwin started. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets as he continued. "She brought him here right when I was closing. I'll admit I was incredibly skeptical, but he looked so scared and confused that it was hard not to pity him. I'm sure Hange dragging him into her car didn't help." Erwin shot her look. She responded with only a shrug. "Anyway, I made him a loaf of bread and sent him on his way, even though Hange kept begging to let him stay. But you know what they say about strays, feed them once and they'll keep coming back. He came back each night for about a month looking for food. After speaking to him, I realized he's just a helpless kid who lost his way. I couldn't just let him go back out there."

Levi sighed. "And let me guess, you gave him a job."

"Yeah he did and he turned out to be an amazing kid!" Hange shouted. "You saw him earlier, he was polite as can be! Eren is not some filthy criminal and if you're still our friend then you're gonna be around him a lot so STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE!"

"Jesus four eyes, calm down. The only one being an asshole is you. I never said he was a bad person, but you don't need to be picking up random people off the streets." 

"Whatever, Levi. Just don't bring this up. He's an awesome, hardworking guy and he doesn't need you bullying him." Hange began to turn and stomp her way out of the building. "I hope you remember where I live cause I'm not driving your ass anywhere!" She stubbornly shouted, picking up a nearby plate and shattering it onto the ground before running out of the glass doors like a fucking maniac. 

Erwin sighed. "I guess I've got to clean that up now. I suppose you'll need a ride now, Levi? I'll be about an hour finishing up closing procedures so-"

"Nah, I'll just call a taxi or something." He grumbled before exiting the Survey Corps, leaving Erwin standing alone. 

~

Just his luck, his phone had died but after walking about three blocks, he managed to pull over a taxi. The driver did not look too happy with Levi's sudden appearance, probably on his way home, but when Levi flashed a roll of the twenties, the driver's mood quickly lifted. 

Leaning his head against the back seat window, Levi's thoughts traveled to the strange conversation that just transpired. Hange became so angry with him even though he barely said a word. He merely warned her about the obvious consequences picking up prostitutes would bring. Hell, picking up any random stranger from the side of the road was dangerous. She's just lucky the person turned out to be a kid who was simply down on his luck and not some angry drug addict who would've murdered and robbed her. 

Speaking of the brat, his thoughts began to travel back to him. He couldn't imagine such a gorgeous, polite soul had to go through whatever is happening in his life. Levi wasn't aware of the complete situation, but if he had to turn to prostitution, he knew it couldn't be all that great. He seemed really important to Hange and Erwin, so Levi would have to try his best not to pry for details, but he had to admit that his little story only stirred his curiosity further. 

The driver turned another corner, before stopping at an old, rundown apartment building. "Alright, this is your stop." 

Levi's head shot forward. "What? No, this isn't right." It's been five years since he's visited, so his memory was bound to be rusty, however, he was certain Hange didn't live anywhere near here. This place had to be on the complete opposite end of town!

"Listen, dude. This is where you told me to go. I gotta get home, man. My shift ended thirty minutes ago." The driver grumbled. "Unless you've got another stack of twenties you can throw my way."

Levi pulled a face, contemplating whether he should offer more money or not. He certainly had a lot of it. So much that he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. After a second, however, Levi huffed and opened the car door and stepping out. This asshole didn't deserve his money. He'll find another way home. Fuck people, man. He hated everybody. As he trudged through the cold, he continuously grumbled under his breath, complaining about nothing and everything at the same time. Damn Hange with her overreacting. When he woke up tomorrow, he was immediately going to starting looking at new places to live. Forget living with her crazy ass. Hell, he could probably rent an apartment for a month or two while he searched. Just anywhere that'll be far away from her. 

Suddenly, Levi ran into a very hard, very large wall, knocking him to the ground. Now with his ass on the cold, wet ground, Levi was definitely not a happy camper. He glanced up, hand now placed on his head to see that he, in fact, had not run into a wall, but into a person. The man stared down at him for a moment before walking away, hands in his pockets. This was another person whom he did not recognize. He couldn't see him too well do to a scarf wrapped around his face, but he did spot glasses and blonde hair. Of course, he realized the incredible height of this man, probably matching the giant, Erwin himself. This town must really be going to shit if it's filled with prostitutes and giant, rude assholes who push people to the ground and don't even apologize. 

Standing up from his current position, and about to begin walking to... nowhere honestly, his ears caught the faintness noise sounding through the empty streets. After a while, he realized that it was the sound of crying. Someone nearby was crying. Whipping his head to the left and right, he saw no one who could be the source. Walking a few steps further, the sobs became noticeably louder, especially in his left ear. Passing an alleyway, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of what looked to be someone's shoe thrown in the middle. Listening closely, the sobs were coming from down here. 

Would he seem like a hypocrite for going to check on this person? He just fussed Hange for interacting with strange, unknown people, and someone crying in the alleyway surely made that category. But what if they were hurt? What if they were laying there dying and Levi did nothing to stop it? He'd hate to turn on the new one day to see a report of a dead body found in this very alleyway and he did nothing to prevent that. 

With a grumble of a simple "Fuck it." Levi slowly approached the clearly upset figure. Long, messy brown hair was the first thing to come into view. The chestnut follicles shielded Levi from view the person's face, but he could tell they were male by their broad shoulders. He couldn't see much else do to the darkness.

"Um...Are you alright?" His gruff voice sounded from a few feet away, not wanting to get to close in case this person was dangerous. The man's body stiffened a bit before his head slowly turned towards Levi. Creepily, the man's hair still covered his face, making him look like someone from a horror movie. 

"M-Mr. Levi?" A low, but slightly familiar voice rang. Squinting his eyes, he could barely make out certain facial features.

"Ah," He figured it out. "didn't I tell you to just call me Levi?" He took a few steps closer, stopping in front of the teen. "Tears, huh?" He was now crouched to his level. His hand moved to place Eren's hair away from his face so he could see what was wrong, but his hand was quickly slapped away.

"I'm fine, seriously." Eren's hand was brought closely to his chest. A quiet sniffle could be heard as he stared at Levi.

"Well, from the looks of it, you're not. People who are fine don't sit and cry in the snow in a dark alley." He once again moved to get Eren's hair from out of his face. 

"I SAID I'M FINE, OKAY!" He suddenly shouted, pushing Levi to the ground and away from him. Levi groaned when his back hit the hard surface. This is the second time this has happened in a five-minute time span. "I-I sorry...I didn't mean it." Eren softly mumble. Eren's hair was moved now, probably happened during the process of shoving Levi.

"You've got a black eye, brat. And is the blood coming out of your fucking nose?"


	4. The Injury Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's got a boo boo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is very short. I just didn't want to reveal too much or take away too much. Also, thank you for 45+ Kudos :)

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REWRITTEN! PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 10 TO READ!**

Eren lifted a shaky hand towards his nose. Sure enough, a warm liquid was present when he made contact with his skin. In fact, there was a lot of blood on his face from what he could feel. His eyes find their way to his lap, not wanting to look at this stranger. He didn't want to see the pitying look that would be present of his features. He didn't want to hear the obvious questions that would come with him being found beaten up in an alleyway. 

"Do you live around here, brat?" Eren's head shot up. In all honesty, he wasn't expecting that question. Usually, people would ask something along the lines of 'what happened?' or 'do I need to call the police.'

"I uh..." Levi's silver eyes bored into him, a glare digging into his skin. Is it safe to tell him where he lives? Yes, he is a friend of Hange and Erwin, and he probably does need help walking to his room, but he still doesn't know this man. The cold look he gave Eren didn't help to calm his nerves either.

"Come one, kid. I don't have all day." 

Eren blinked. "Um...yeah. I live in this building. Fourth floor." He responded quietly. 

Levi said nothing as he stood. Suddenly, a hand was wrapped around Eren's arm, and he was quickly hoisted up by the man. Levi slung Eren's arm over his shoulder, practically dragging him from the alley and into the building.

~

Getting him up there to his room had been a journey all on its own. His left knee was killing him so Levi practically had to do all the walking while holding most of Eren's weight. It didn't help that the shitty elevator was broken again, so Levi had to basically carry him up four flights of stairs. Also, his key was missing, probably left somewhere down in the alley, so Levi had to sit Eren down by his door and pick the lock himself, a skill that frightened Eren a little. After what felt like forever, he was finally placed onto his worn loveseat situated in his cramp apartment.

"Where're your painkillers? I'm sure you need some right now." 

Eren snapped out of his thoughts. "T-They should be in the bathroom. Down the hall to the right, check the medicine cabinet."

Levi nodded before disappearing into the hall. He heard the bathroom door open and quiet rummaging. Truth be told, Eren was not sure if he even had any painkillers left but might as well check, because Levi was correct. He really needed some fucking relief right now. He brought his hand to his throbbing head, massage his temple to hopefully help make the pain go away, to no avail. 

Levi returned. "Your place is a fucking pigsty, brat. Have you ever heard of a little thing called 'organization'?" In his grip, he saw a wet washcloth, but no pills."You don't have any painkillers or medicine in general for that matter."  Levi knelt down in front of him, placing the cloth onto his face and wiping away the blood. Eren sat there awkwardly, attempting to look anywhere but at this stranger. He was sure an embarrassed blush found its way to his face. 

"You have a phone or something? Mine is dead." Levi's monotone voice entered his ears. 

"I don't. Sorry. And I'd prefer if you didn't contact the police anyway, sir." Levi's eye twitched at the word 'sir', but he didn't comment on it. Eren really needed to get his good manners under control, because apparently, this guy was not a fan. 

"I wasn't planning on that. I was just going to call Hange since I don't have a ride. She probably would want to look at you though. Your nose is probably broken and I'm sure you're supposed to use knees for walking and not limping." 

Some sort of 'huff' escaped Eren's throat after hearing what he supposed was a joke. "Well, I usually use Armin's phone, but I'm not sure if he's awake. It's almost one in the morning, y'know. He lives next door." 

"Well, he's about to be awake in a few seconds." Levi made his way to the door. 

"Um, wait! Mr.- I mean Levi, I'd rather you not tell Hange. I don't want her to worry." His voice sounded quiet to his own ears. He wasn't even sure if Levi heard him.

Levi turned back to him, arms now crossed. "She's going to find out anyway when she sees you again. You're covered in cuts and bruises, kid. What do you think is going to happen to me if she finds out I knew you got hurt. You seem to be her unfortunate little pet. And I'm not murdered because I didn't take up the duty of babysitter." His voice did not sound amused, nor has it have since Eren has met this man. He turned away from him, not saying another word as he opened the door. Eren didn't try to stop him this time.

As Levi left to probably harass his friend, Eren became lost in his thoughts. Why was this man helping him? As he said, Eren was Hange's self-proclaimed responsibility so he was doing it for her, but this seemed like a bit much. Levi seemed like the opposite of a people person, so there was no indication that he had the heart to carry Eren up four flights of stairs. He felt awkward about this whole situation. He had no way to pay back Levi for his good deeds. Not that he knew if Levi was expecting anything in return for this. This little 'alleyway encounter' has happened many times before, but never once has someone helped with the aftermath. 

In a way, he was grateful that the person to help him was this cold stranger. He didn't seem curious as to why Eren had the crap beaten out of him at one AM. Or if he was curious, he didn't find it necessary to ask any questions and dig into his business. He simply picked him up, dusted him off, and dumped him in his room. The only unfortunate thing was that Levi was bringing over people who would poke and prod until they got every last drop of information he'd allow set free. 

"OH MY GOD! EREN, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Speaking of which, Armin has just decided to break down his door. Eren glanced over to see his blonde friend's panicked face, Levi standing almost expectantly behind him. He was correct to assume that Armin was asleep due to the embarrassing pajamas he wore and disheveled hair. Armin rushed over to him, hands now cupping his cheeks and searching for every single injury possible. "You need ice! I'll be right back!" 

As Armin sprinted out the door, Eren turned toward Levi. "I texted her since I know she was going to be screaming. She'll be here soon." 

~

The night went on as expected. Armin played doctor with my face, threatening to contact his sister, Mikasa the entire time. Hange ran in crying, Erwin right behind her. And an interrogation ensued. Like always, Eren didn't answer their questions, earning him many annoyed looks and concerned comments. Levi went outside during this time, mumbling something about needing a cigarette. 

Hange wanted to drag him to the emergency room, even after Armin deduced that his nose wasn't broken, he just had a really nasty cut and his knee was badly bruised. The clock read 3:36 AM when Erwin finally dragged Hange out of Eren's room. Armin decided to stay the night to keep an eye on him, something that he appreciated very much. 

However, he still didn't get any sleep that night.


	5. Trust Me. I'm An Adult.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren thinks he's an adult. Everyone disagrees.

Winter apparently decided to throw up everywhere in Trost on this particular morning.

Thick blankets of white covered absolutely everything. All of the trees, streets, buildings, and road signs had a layer of frost stuck to their foundations, further chilling the area around. Unsurprisingly, the roads were almost completely void of human life except for maybe the few taxis aimlessly driving around. Sometimes, the yellow cars would stop near a certain brunette limping his way through the snow, much to his annoyance. He had to decline every time, for he couldn't afford to waste what little money he had left on a shady taxi that was bound to have a rude driver and play crappy music. 

With now only a block away for the Survey Corps, Eren could officially say that his fingers and toes were completely numb. It didn't help that he only adorned a long sleeve sweater, a torn up beanie, and a thin scarf that Armin gave him for Christmas last year. At this point, snot was frozen onto his face, and his eyes began to water from the strong wind blowing in his direction. Walking today was admittedly not his best idea as of yet. Usually, Armin dropped him off a few streets away on his way to University and Eren walked the rest of the distance. However, Eren decided to attempt the entirety of the trip himself today. For one, he couldn't sleep, and staring up at his ceiling was not helping clear his mind from last night events. Might as well try to get to work on time for once in an attempt to move forward. And two, if he waited for Armin to wake up, he would've never been allowed to go anyway. Hell, he was sure Armin would skip school just to make sure his neighbor didn't leave the apartment building. Eren didn't want his friend to miss school because of him, but he certainly wasn't going to miss school. So, even before the sun was completely up, Eren limped out of the safety of his room and began to brave the elements.

The familiar jingle of bells sounded as he yanked the glass door open. It was dangerously quiet, but the glow of lights signaled that someone HAD to be here. Erwin would've never left the lights on. Even if the place was on fire, he was sure that Erwin would make sure every light was off and every door was locked before evacuating the building. He glanced at the clock that hung over the counter. Wow. He was a whole hour early. Talk about a new record. He hobbled further into the building, allowing himself to be swallowed completely by the warmth the bakery always had to offer. A grunt of relief escaped his being as he quickly rubbed his hands together in an attempt to bring back the feeling in his fingers. 

The sudden sound of someone clearing their throat had Eren snap his head toward a lone corner of the bakery. There sat Levi in one of the bigger booths, a laptop and a cup of what looked to be steaming tea or coffee sitting in front of him. Eren would be lying if he said he was not surprised to see the man here. Didn't he say he was sleeping at Hange's? Why was he here, staring at Eren with his thin brows furrowed, as if he were the one who wasn't supposed to be there. 

"What are you doing here, Eren? I thought I told you to stay home." Eren jumped at Erwin's unexpected voice invading his eardrums. He whipped around to see his boss, looking rather silly in his too-small apron tied around his overly muscular torso. 

"Oh, I guess I missed you saying that." A nervous chuckle sounded as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm here now so I'll get right to work-"

Erwin lifted his hand, causing Eren to pause in his stride toward the kitchen. He crossed his arms, bushy eyebrows curving downward to finish off his signature disapproving face that Eren was so used to seeing. Eren wondered if he was the cause of the forehead lines present on Erwin. He couldn't remember if they were there when he met the man or not. "Call Armin. Now." 

"What? No! I'm fine, seriously! Plus, Armin has classes so there." Eren made another attempt to push his way pass the colossal man, but Erwin refused to budge.

"Then we'll call Hange." 

Eren's face was pulled back from annoyance. "She's got work today and so do I! Let me through!" Erwin didn't move. Instead, he stared down at Eren, the brunette returning his gaze. It was quiet, aside from the few sniffles emanating from Eren's nose. The staring contest seemed to go on for several long minutes, even though it had only been a few seconds. But Eren was not giving in. He was not going home! After a while, Erwin sighed, uncrossing his arms and face softening significantly. 

"Did you walk all the way here?" Eren nodded. "I'm taking you home whenever I have the chance." Eren opened his mouth to protest, but that ever so threatening hand shot up, silencing him immediately. "You will not be working today and that's final."

"But-"

"No buts. Levi?" Levi's silver eyes left the screen of his laptop to stare at the giant. He was mid-sip when Erwin interrupted him, as Levi apparently long got bored of the commotion, almost as soon as it started, really. "Could you watch Eren? Make sure he doesn't wander off." The raven-haired man nodded, albeit with an extremely confused look plastered onto his face.

Eren groaned, shoulders now hunched as Erwin walked back to his place in the kitchen. He has stated before that he was extremely grateful for Erwin in his life, giving him a chance when no one else did. However, he was not happy with the fact that Erwin practically became his father. He'd always lecture him over the simplest things. Shouldn't a boss want you to come to work and not 'punish' you from doing your own damn job? This entire situation seemed stupid and in all honesty, Eren really needed the money, so this little punishment was a lot like taking away his allowance. But could Erwin really force him to go home? He doubted that the man would go as far as shoving him into his Jeep and holding him down as he drove to Eren's apartment.

Maybe Hange, but not Erwin. 

Either way, he wasn't going to get paid today...

"Kid," A smooth voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He glanced back to the corner only to see Levi's icy glare aimed at him. Levi's hand gave the table a few light but demanding taps. Eren guessed that that meant he wanted him to join him? He wasn't sure. He did not really know the man too well, but he was already sure that Levi had a strange way of dealing with other people. He didn't seem anti-social, just... odd, he supposed? His eyes did have a strange way of making Erne feel incredibly nervous though. Eren didn't want to leave that up to him being shy around strangers. He obviously wasn't, maybe a little too polite at first but never shy. 

Eren trudged to the booth, trying his best to walk upright and hide the obvious limp that was now a part of his gait for the time being. Levi's eyes never left his form, following every single footstep Eren took, causing the teen to feel even more uncomfortable than he thought was possible. He somehow found his way to him, making sure to sit opposite of the stone cold man. He awkwardly folded his hands on top of the table, sitting up as straight as his spine would allow. 

Steel grey eyes rolled. "Geez, calm down brat. You're not at a job interview." Levi's voice seemed to always be smooth and uncaring. His words certainly did not make Eren feel better. "Y'know, when I said that I was taking up the duty of babysitter, I didn't think those two idiots would take it literally."

Eren's cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. Erwin's just over-protective I guess."

Levi lifted up his mug, taking a long sip from the porcelain. "If you ask me, he needs to leave you alone. You're an adult, not a fucking toddler. But whatever. It's none of my business I suppose. I just need to shut up and do my job as designated brat-watcher." His eyes were now back on the screen, scrolling through some website that was blocked from Eren's view. 

Eren sat there quietly, a small smile present of his face. He has just met Levi, but he already has taken a liken to this man, despite him feeling like he'll murder him whenever he gets the chance. They've barely said a few words to each other but Levi seemed to be on his side more than Hange and Erwin's. Either that or he was just a normal human being who realized that they were smothering him. He was right, Erwin was not his father, so why should he treat Eren like a little kid? It annoyed Eren to the core with every little thing that Erwin spotted. Even though he was a grown man living on his own, Erwin felt the need to take away his little freedoms. Well, he wouldn't call work a freedom, but it was something he chose to do! Don't get him wrong, he loved the extra support and the feeling of family that Erwin, Hange, and his friends brought him, but he wasn't a child! He was a grown ass man who can take care of himself!

"Here, Eren. You need to eat." Eren's little inner monologue was cut short by a blonde haired giant currently pushing something in front of him. He looked down and spotted two golden, buttery croissants and a glass of orange juice. Eren's mouth watered at the sight. Usually, the croissants were already placed for order when he arrived, so he never really had the opportunity to taste one before. He usually just stuck to the rolls. He quickly snatched it up and shoved the delightful looking thing into his mouth. Erwin chuckled at the sight before ruffling Eren's hair. 

"Hmph." Was his only reply as he looked away from the blonde with a disapproving gaze. He was still munching on his provided breakfast, but he refused to say thank you. Erwin definitely deserved the good ol' fashion silent treatment right now. He heard footsteps fading away and a small sound coming from in front of him. He turned back toward Levi to see the man was once again looking at him. This time, a hand covered his mouth as he chuckled at Eren.

"Wow. I take back my last statement. You really are just a spoiled brat, huh?" Levi took away his hand, but a very small, almost unnoticeable smirk was still present. Eren puffed his cheeks out, scowl now directed toward the raven. And he just mentally said all those good things about him!

~

It had been a solid thirty minutes of just uneasy silence between the two (Or at least, uneasy on Eren's half. Levi seemed quite content with the lack of dialogue). His breakfast was long finished and Levi's beverage was either gone or had run cold because no more wisp of steam emerged from the clean, white mug. 

Marco was also here now, presumingly the one filling in for Eren's shift. He shot Eren a quick wave and a cheery smile before entering the back room. Eren, being the petty person he was, did not return the wave. But now there was nothing to do. He glanced back at Levi, who was still browsing the internet apparently.

"Um...So why were you here so early?" Eren's voice sounded a bit shaky to his ears. Levi wasn't very approachable, so starting a conversation was a difficult mission that he secretly had been hyping himself for.

Levi's attention didn't leave the screen. "If you must know, I almost killed Hange last night because of her horribly loud snoring. It was Erwin's idea I spent a few hours away from her before I was sent to jail." 

"Oh...Hange does snore pretty loud." Eren tapped the table with his index finger.

"Uh-huh."

Soundlessness once again came between them. Eren's tapping intensified. Oh god! He was going to explode from the awkwardness!

"So...What are you looking at?"

"A computer screen." Levi's blunt answer caused Eren to roll his eyes.

"I know that but like...What's on the screen?" Eren tried once again.

"A website." Eren puffed out his cheeks again in annoyance. Was this guy always so sassy? "Fine, don't throw a tantrum brat. I'm researching car dealerships. The one I bought my car from back in the day no longer exists so gotta do research." 

Eren perked up. Yes, a conversation starter! "Oh well, I know there's one by the library if you remember where that is. I've never bought a car so I can't tell you anything about it. I mean, that's where Armin got his car from and it works just fine." 

"I do in fact remember how to get to the library. Maybe I'll check it out. I was hoping to cross purchasing a car off my list of things to do soon. I want to get my life back in order as soon as possible." Levi shut his laptop. Now, his full attention was on Eren's form, grey eyes piercing through his skin.

"I-uh-Yeah you should do that. What do you mean by life back in order?" Eren blinked. Was that a rude question? It kind of sounded like a rude question. 

"I've been gone for five years, brat. Honestly didn't think I'd ever come back so I sold everything. My house, car, furniture, even my fucking wardrobe. Sold it all." Levi seemed agitated as he spoke, fist noticeably clenching as he glared at the table. 

"Oh-um...Sorry for your loss?" Eren wanted to punch himself in the face. 

Levi's eyebrow raised a bit. "Um don't be? I mean it's no big deal, I suppose. My old house is next to Hange's so I plan on finding a house FAR away from her."

"Y'know, for someone who's such great friends with Hange, you sure seem to hate her." 

Levi's smirk returned to his face. "Yeah, well, I suppose you're too young to have relationships like that."

Eren straightened his back. "Hey! No, I'm not! I've got a friend, Jean, for example, and I can't stand his fucking guts. So yeah I can have friendships like that." Eren crossed his arms tightly, looking away from Levi with a simple 'huff'.  

"Dude, Yeager! I can fucking hear you!" Eren's head quickly turned to see Jean standing behind the counter, obviously offended by the words. With a roll of his teal eyes, Eren flipped the double birds in his direction. Levi's chuckling was prevalent to Eren's ears, causing the teen to heat up in embarrassment. 

"Whoa, what happened to the stuttering, shy kid from yesterday? All I can see now is a feisty little brat in front of me." Levi rested his head onto his open palm, silver orbs trained on Eren's face which was doing a very convincing impression of a tomato at the moment.

"W-Well, maybe I decided you don't deserve my good manners." Damnit. Nervous stutter strikes again. Levi let out another short round of quiet chuckles before going silent again. 

Suddenly, the jingle of keys sounded next to Eren's head. Glancing over, he spotted Erwin, sporting his heavy winter coat and gloves. "Alright, Eren. Let's get you home." 

Eren glared over to him. "No! I don't want to go home! I want to work!" 

Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Eren." His voice was lowered now. "I've got fifteen minutes until the bakery opens. I don't have time to argue with you right now."

"Good, because there's nothing to argue. I'm not going home." 

"Oh, Jesus Christ." Levi began to shuffle out of his side of the booth, grabbing his jacket on the way. "Give me your fucking keys, Erwin. I'm borrowing your car." Levi held his hand out expectantly. 

"Levi, I-" 

"Don't worry, I'll drop the brat off on my way." Erwin stared at him, eyebrow raised. Surprisingly, the keys were dropped into the waiting hand. Levi nodded before shoving the set into his coat pocket. "Let's go, kid."

"Not you too, Levi! I'm not-"

"Eren." Eren paused. Levi shot him a look. Well, more like shooting him daggers. My god, he wouldn't be surprised his Levi could kill a man with his eyes alone. His cold tone of voice was not helping. His vocals felt like they dripped ice, ready to freeze Eren if he even thought of questioning Levi any further. With an audible gulp, Eren stood from his spot, holding up his discarded beanie with both hands as if that would help shield him from Levi's wrath. 

~

Eren said nothing as he followed him to Erwin's black jeep parked on the side of the road. Was this the first time Eren was standing near Levi? Because he didn't notice how incredibly short this terrifying being was until this very moment. The shorter you are, the closer to hell he supposed. 

Levi unlocked the Jeep, sliding into the driver's seat without a word. Eren followed suit on the passenger side. He twidled his thumbs idly as Levi fiddled with the radio, mumbling something about Erwin's shitty taste in music. Eren couldn't help but agree. Who the fuck listens to country around here? 

"U-Uh...Do you remember how to get to my apartment?" Eren's voice was once again shaky. He actually had to bite down his urge to call Levi 'sir'. Levi seriously seemed above him right now, despite the obvious size difference. But he remembered Levi did not enjoy being called 'sir' or 'Mr.', so instead of getting another stabbing via silver eyeballs, he swallowed his manners. 

"Nope. But I remember how to get to the library, so that must mean I know how to get to that car sales lot you were talking about." 


	6. Drunk Bastard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren learns that Levi is a picky, diva man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really proud of this chapter and it's super short but I needed to get this part out there for things to make sense.

Aside from the quiet lyrics of Queen songs emanating from the speakers, the rest of the car ride was uncomfortably silent for Eren. He sat restlessly in his spot, hands fidgeting and foot tapping offbeat. He wasn't sure what to say honestly. In a way, he was grateful for this sort of 'kidnapping', sort to speak. Levi was providing Eren a great excuse to not go to his lonely and stuffy apartment room, but instead was dragging him along to go car shopping, something Eren has never experienced. But on the other hand, Levi was kind of allowing Erwin to think that he had won their little spat. In Erwin's mind, Eren was going home to rest, the opposite of what he wanted to do. Also, since Levi is pulling him away from his job, an entire day's worth of payment will be gone and out the window. 

"Is this the place, kid?" Levi's voice startled him out of his thoughts. Eren's eyes traveled away from the passenger side window and toward Levi's. A parking lot filled to the brim with cars came into view. Little triangle checkered flags were strung from light pole to light pole and an obnoxious sign reading "PIXIS CAR PALACE" written in bright yellow invaded most of his sight. 

"Yeah." It was sort of obviously the place, wasn't it? Levi shrugged and began to make the turn necessary to pull into the ginormous lot. There weren't many people here, which was unsurprising because people weren't really buying new cars every day in this tiny town, so finding a parking spot was not difficult.  Levi pulled Erwin's jeep into place and quickly got out of the vehicle. Eren, of course, followed suit.

Levi did not wait for Eren as he practically ran into the small building which was oddly labeled 'OFFICE'. Levi must really want to get his life back together Eren assumed. Entering the tiny building, Eren spotted an older gentleman sitting behind a beaten up desk, sipping some sort of liquid from a rusty flask with his eyes close, apparently really enjoying the drink. A blue name tag positioned on his polo shirt had the name 'Dot Pixis' scribbled on in ugly, crude handwriting. 

"I fucking knew it was you." Levi leaned onto the desk unceremoniously, causing the elder to open his wrinkled eyes. Dot stared at him for a moment, confusion etched onto his face. After a moment or two, he finally let out an "Ahhhh" and a chuckle in acknowledgment.  

"Well if it isn't Levi. Long time, no see. And what do I owe such a visit?" The man took another long sip for the container, before capping it a shoving it onto a little holder on his belt. 

"Well, obviously I'm coming to buy a car. I'm moving back into town. Didn't expect to see you, though. I thought for sure your liver would have exploded by now." Dot laughed loudly at Levi's comment, shaking his head at the very thought. How did Levi know this man? 

"Oh? and who's this you have with you? A new lover? This one's a lot prettier than the last girl." Eren's cheeks began to burn. 

"I-I uh, no-no..." Why would he say something like that?! 

"First of all," Levi cut in. "Eren is male from what I've gathered, even though the long hair is indeed misleading. And second off, no, this is a friend of Hange and Erwin's that I'm currently babysitting."

The old man nodded but did not pry. Walking from behind his desk, he folded his hands behind his back and made his way to the parking lot, Levi following shortly behind. 

~

Eventually, Eren went go wait in Erwin's Jeep until Levi finished his business. For some ungodly reason, Eren thought that this little adventure with Levi would be fun or at least somewhat entertaining. However, he crudely judged the man once again. Using his masterful skills of deduction, he's come to realize a few things about Levi.

First things first, the older male was incredibly picky. No matter the color, brand, or model, Levi had nothing nice to say about a single car. He did not want a white car because they get dirty the easiest, but on the other hand, dark cars often overheat faster. Mustangs were designed for douche bags according to him and apparently, SUV's are for single dads who don't have sex anymore. What on earth would satisfy this man?! He might as well make a car specifically for him from scratch. But seeing Levi's reactions, he probably wouldn't want that one either. 

Another thing that Eren guessed was that Levi must have a LOT of money. Well, everyone has a lot of money to Eren it seems. Like, Armin seems like a millionaire to him, even though he's just a college student.  Wow, you can afford to go to a cheap cafe every day for lunch? OH BOY! 

However, Levi seemed different to that situation. This man has just come back into a town he hasn't visited in a while, and he can afford to just straight up start his life back up again? He hadn't even discussed a price range with Mr. Pixis or whatever. He simply walked in and demanded a car, which he admittedly is having a hard time choosing. But again, he can choose ANY car. Not just cheap old used ones, but a brand spanking new vehicle.  Eren wouldn't be surprised if he bought a fucking mansion by tomorrow. Just who was this man, and where did he get all this money from?

Suddenly, the door he was currently leaning on magically disappeared, causing him to slump toward the right slightly. He turned his head to where the door should be to see the man in question had ripped it open. His face was unemotional as per usual.  He said nothing as he walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. 

Eren's face burned. "Was that really necessary?" 

Levi shrugged. "Just seemed like you were dozing off. I don't particularly feel like driving around an unconscious brat who snores loudly." 

"Hey! I don't snore!"

Levi rolled his eyes as he shoved the keys into the ignition, turning them in order for him to start the Jeep. Eren lifted an eyebrow in bewilderment. "Wait, did you not pick out a car?"

"Of course I picked a car. That was the whole reason for coming out here, no?" 

Eren looked out the window as Levi began to pull out of his parking spot. "Then where is it?" 

"Well, I can't take it today, kid. Did you honestly think Pixis had everything in order for me to actually take the damn thing? I'm coming by tomorrow to get sign the papers and all that shit. Hopefully, the drunk bastard will remember." Despite the choice words emerging from Levi's thin lips, there was absolutely no malice coming from his voice as he berated the older man. 

"Oh...Speaking of which, how do you know that guy? You two seemed quite chummy back there." 

"Who? Pixis? He's just my old Geometry teacher. Hange, Erwin, and I were all in his class. He'd show up drunk every day to class and also didn't know shit about math or shapes. He'd let us smoke in class though, so he was good in my book." 

"O-Oh... I'm starting to think everyone in this town is crazy." 

Levi let out a small chuckle. "How long have you lived here, kid? You should KNOW that everyone in this town is fucking insane." 

Eren rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Two years. I actually don't know too many people. I can barely remember regular costumers at the Survey Corps to be honest. I don't go out often either."

A small 'hmmm' emitted for Levi. Oh god, Eren probably sounded so boring and stupid right now! He just blankly admitted to being unpopular and an airhead! "Don't get me wrong! I've got friends and all! Just not too many." He added quickly. Fuck that certainly doesn't help, does it?

"Calm down, brat. No one was judging."

"I-uh." Eren shut his mouth. His cheeks were once again red for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. He's never been this flustered in his life. For whatever reason, this strange man was making him say all the wrong things and look like a dumb ass... And he's not even trying! Just his mere presence is causing Eren to have a panic attack. But why though? 

"If it helps, I don't have many friends either. Just because I know lots of people doesn't mean I'm friends with them. Truth be told, I hate most of them." 

Eren snapped out of his thought.

"Really?"

"Yeah. My motto is, 'I hate you until proven other wise.' It's never stirred me wrong." 

Eren couldn't help but feel a slight twang in his chest...

Does that mean Levi hates him, too?


	7. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Don’t worry! I’m not discontinuing anything lol. But I am one of those people who like to go back and re-read before I start writing the next chapter and I’ve just can’t help but notice that these chapters haven’t been my best work. I feel like I rush to get the main idea written and publish it as quickly as possible. I really hate the idea of giving y’all a half-ass story when I know it can be so much better.

That being said! I was wondering if y’all would be interested in me re-writing the first six chapters (probably combining the shorter ones with the chapter before it). I just feel like the story would benefit so much from me actually taking my time and plus re-writing probably won’t take too long since the story is already in motion, y’know? I’m not changing the plot, just the writing of it. I just feel so unaccomplished and frankly embarrassed that I put this out here. 

Just want y’all opinion though! I probably will re-write it regardless but it’s nice to know what y’all think. I’m so happy with all the support this story has gotten and y’all are what give me the motivation to write!

P.S. I re-read this and noticed how many times I said ‘y’all’. I guess I can reveal that I am indeed from the south...


	8. Chapter One REWRITE: Broken Plate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first rewrite. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know what y'all think! This is a lot more detailed in my opinion and adds a lot more to the story and the AU that they are currently in.

This grey and cold atmosphere has hung over Trost for a while now. The once beautiful fallen snow was at first seen as some sort of blessing. Children were allowed the day off, thus leading to many snowball fights, artsy college students taking the opportunity to have winter photo-ops for their social media, and all the older ladies enjoyed baking fresh sweets for their grandchildren and anyone else who happened to stop by. It was an absolute winter paradise, for children and adults alike. However, everyone's moods soon changed when the snow didn't leave their small town. For weeks, snow continued to fall in a sudden rebellion against global warming. Somedays it was very light, other days it felt like winter contracted food poisoning and vomited all their town. Children soon became bored with throwing the frozen water, the college students could only take some many pictures before it was seen as tacky, and parents soon began to fuss the grannies for giving the children too many snacks. Much to the annoyance of everyone, the school system also decided to force their pupils back into their buildings, further solidifying the townsfolk's bad moods.

Everyone avoided the streets as if they were contaminated with the plague, not wanting to be caught up in this nasty weather. Instead, everybody decided to bundle up in the safety of their nice warm homes on this dreary Saturday morning, most likely cuddled in front of a roaring fire with a fresh mug of hot cocoa resting in their hands. Well, everybody except a certain brunette clambering down the icy sidewalk, muttering curses at mother nature as he did so. 

The appearance of this particular teenager would be considered odd by some people, but stupid by most. Even though he was clearly shaking and had his arms cross as a pathetic attempt to keep warm, he possessed no jacket of any sort, simply a thin wine-colored sweater with a sizable hole torn at the side. His jeans were ripped at the knees, revealing red patches of skin probably suffering from frostbite. Besides for the purple and yellow striped scarf, his long hair was down to try and protect his ears and neck from the unforgiving cold, something that wasn't particularly helping. 

Still, the young man walked with purpose, determined to get to his destination no matter what the universe threw at him. He had convinced his friend to drive him to his usual spot where he was dropped off to trek the rest of the two block journey. Like always, Armin fussed over it being too cold for him to walk that far in this weather especially with what he was wearing. And like always, Eren threatened to walk the entire distance if he didn't drive him. So here he was, now staring at a swaying sign in the distance that read "The Survey Corps Bakery" written in large golden calligraphy. A strange for a bakery, yes, but the food and interior design definitely made up for the harsh, military-like name. 

Not bothering to look both ways, Eren rushed across the street to reach the bakery. A sigh escaped his chapped lips as he finally reached the doors, causing a cloud of frosted breath to fog up the glass. His shaky hand reached for the handle but the door magically opened without him even having to touch it. Well, not so much magic and more like his boss, Erwin Smith. 

"You're late, Jaeger...again." His bushy eyebrows were pulled together in a scowl, a frown clearly present on his lips. Eren slipped inside, choosing wisely to not comment on how silly Erwin looked with his huge, muscular frame shoved into that tiny apron as he usually did. Instead, he let out a loud groan of relief as a wave of warmth engulfed his being, allowing his body to finally relax from the beating it was withstanding out there in the arctic wasteland that was once Trost. 

"I'm serious Eren. You promised me you'd help in the mornings and you're almost always late." Erwin began to usher Eren toward the back kitchen, chucking an ugly pickle shaded apron at him in the process. Eren wasted no time tying the thing as fast as possible around his thin waist. 

Part of the deal with Eren working at this establishment was that he was SUPPOSED to help out with the morning duties, mainly the tedious task of arranging all of the bread and pastries onto trays and then placing them out in the display case so people can see what the bakery offered. However, due to his reoccurring latenesses, the job was always almost done by the time he finally arrived for his shift. 

"I planned to show up on time, I swear!" Eren threw his hands up as if the police had just caught him mid-murder. "It's just my stupid alarm clock is broken and Armin was taking his time fussing me this morning-"

Erwin put his hand up, instantly shushing the boy. "Listen, Eren, I care about you. You know you're like a son to me. But you're nineteen now. You can't keep showing up late, or you'll never learn responsibility."

"I think I'm pretty responsible, sir." Eren protested.

Erwin's arms were crossed now. "You know, other jobs would've fired you by now with all of your shenanigans, Jaeger. You don't honestly think I want you working here forever, right? There are bigger things out there for you, Eren, but you need to be more serious about life if you ever want to see them. And it all starts with showing up on time."

"Yeah but-"

"AND not blaming anyone or thing but yourself." 

Eren opened his mouth to object but quickly shut it when he realized he truly had nothing to retort. He hunched his shoulders over a bit, allowing a quiet "Yes, sir" to pour out of his mouth. 

Erwin said nothing as he clapped a large hand onto his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance before turning to leave the room. With one final huff, Eren grabbed a pair of plastic gloves and began to arrange the freshly baked rolls onto an available tray.

~

Eren rounded the corner, final tray in hand which happened to be delicious smelling oatmeal cookies. He jumped a little when he spotted a figure standing behind the counter, be soon loosened when he saw that it was only Jean, his co-worker, and greatest frenemy.  Most of their conversations consisted of arguments and insults, especially because the two had almost nothing in common besides their shared hot-headedness. 

His brown eyes made their way to Eren's forming, causing his nose to scrunch up is distaste. "Geez, Jaeger. You look horrible." 

"Gee, thanks, dude." Eren rolled his eyes as he shoved the tray into place before turning to his 'friend'.  He was well aware he looked disheveled and he did not need Jean there to remind him, especially since he was already having a rough morning.

"Like, at least throw your hair into a bun or something. It's fucking everywhere, man!" 

Eren followed his advice because it was common courtesy to at least attempt to keep hair out of the food. He tugged the scrunchie he kept on his wrist into his hair before adding "At least I have the opportunity to fix my hair. Can't say the same about your long ass horse face."

Jean's left eye noticeably twitched, his tongue obviously placed into his cheek. "Oh yeah? Well-"

A familiar ring emerged from the doorway, cutting Jean's sure to be lame comeback short. Both employees eyes immediately perked up in surprise, but they both equipped their plastic smiles in order to greet the unexpected costumer. "Hi, welcome to-"

"ERWINNNNN!" A loud, shrill voice invaded both Eren and Jean's eardrums causing them both to grimace in discomfort. Eren's eyes opened to find the source of the annoyingly loud voice, not so shocked at what they discovered. Standing in the doorway was none other than Erwin's good friend and self-proclaimed mother of Eren, Hange Zoe, doubled over as she gasped for breath. She probably ran all the way here from the zoo instead of just taking her truck like usual. It saved gas, and gas costed money, and money was time, so therefore, sprinting the full mile apparently saved more time than driving here. She also saved money/time by not paying for any of the food she wanted when she did finally arrive at the bakery. She would just shove her way behind the counter and steal whatever she fancied from the display before shoving it down her throat before anyone had the chance to stop her. 

"Yo, Hange. Close the door before you let all the snow in." Jean leaned against the counter, completely losing his robotic happiness their boss required from them when speaking towards the customers. Hange obliged, stepping forward to allow the glass portal to swing close by itself.

"Where-Where is Erwin?" She spouted between breaths. "I've got a surprise for him!" Her greasy ponytail popped up as she finally stood up straight, energy now completely returned to her. 

"Hange, if you've caught another squirrel to terrorize the bakery, I've got written permission to throw you out." Hange quickly shook her head at Eren.

"No, pipsqueak! It's better than a squirrel. Now, where's Erwin?" She bounced up and down, hands curled up into tiny balls as she did so. She seemed to visually be vibrating, eyes blinking rapidly at the young men as she waited for their response.  With a worried look, Jean pointed his thumb toward the back office where Erwin was most likely going over finances. A high pitched squeal emanated from her twitching frame. She sprinted to the back as fast as she could, leaving Eren and Jean alone in the front. They both exchanged looks as loud noises could be heard from the back. Erwin's powerful voice boomed protests while Hange laughed manically. 

After some time, the woman emerged, dragging the severely larger man behind her in an iron grip. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the room, before turning and facing the two workers as if she owned the place.

"Alright boys, go the fuck home!" She suddenly announces. Jean immediately began to untie his apron, while Eren stared in shock.

"Wait, what?"

"That's exactly how I feel, Eren." Erwin turns to Hange. "Give me one good reason why you stormed in here to try and attempt to force me to close early?" 

Hange turned to Erwin, bespectacled face pulled into confusion. "Because we must prepare, ya giant!" Hange smacked his arm in annoyance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Disbelief was obvious on the messy haired woman's face as her mouth hung open cartoonishly. 

"What the fuck do you mean-Oh wait. I haven't told you yet." She suddenly stood up straight and dramatically cleared her throat. "Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this...BUT LEVI'S COMING HOME!" She bounced into Erwin's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck in excitement. 

Erwin's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Wait, Levi is coming home? You're not trying to pull a stupid prank on me, are you Hange?" He attempted to pull away from the woman's snake-like hold, but she would not budge. 

"Of course not, silly! He's finally coming home AND get this, HE'S THINKING ABOUT STAYING!" She screamed once again into his ear.

Erwin now looked absolutely baffled.  Who the hell is Levi, and why was he so important? Eren knew Hange had a habit of over exaggerating things, including her own reactions, but the look of Erwin's usually stone face seemed shocked, as well. Never before has he seen Erwin react in such a way to anything, his face a mixture of bewilderment, excitement, and a hint of agitation. 

 The jingle of bells dragged Eren and the other two individuals' eyes toward the door, only to see Jean attempting to flee the scene, apparently taking Hange's demand seriously.

"Wait right there, Kirschtein." Erwin's voice boomed. Jean's body hunched over a bit in disappointment as he turned to face the establishment once more, practically stomping his way to the back in search for his once discarded apron. Erwin faced Hange again, features now morphed back to their usual calmness. "Look, Hange. I'm not going to close down shop just because of Levi."

Hange's eyes widened after hearing such blasphemy from her blonde companion. She removed herself from him as if the man was now on fire. Her hand reached to clench her chest, likely suffering from a heart attack since she did not immediately get her way. "B-But...WHY?! It's not like you have many customers anyway!" She gestured to the empty wasteland of a bakery. "Just send the kids home and we can prepare for the Second Coming!" 

Erwin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his large fingers. "Because that's bad for business, Hange."

She looked like she was now on the verge of tears, chocolate eyes glittering with liquid as her lip quivered drastically. "B-But...But," She pushed up her thick frames to wipe at her orbs, adding on to the little pity show she was performing for everyone to see. "He's our best buddy and I miss him. I know you want to see his grumpy face, too."

Erwin's eyes rolled like dice, surprisingly staying in his head. "Look, how about when Levi's flight lands, you bring him over to the shop and we can catch up here. I'm not cutting work hours to say hi to an old friend."

Hange gasped, her eyes no longer watering but now lit aflame with anger. That was it, her charade was over. "What the hell, Erwin?! Since when did you become so fucking rude?! Just wait till Levi hears this!"

Hange gasped. "What the hell, Erwin?! Since when did you become so fucking rude?! Just wait till Levi hears this!" She quickly stormed out of the building, but not before picking up a plate and shattering it onto the tile, of course. Eren never understood the odd friendship between the two opposing personalities, especially since Hange seemed to cause a lot of property damage. 

"Kinda scary that she's a zoologist. Those poor animals..." Jean shook his head from where he stood, mock sympathy for the innocent creatures that Hange probably tortured.

"Clean up that plate, Kirschiten." Was all Erwin responded, before making his way back to the little office.

Jean groaned and followed close behind in search of the broom and dustpan, leaving Eren alone behind the register, wondering who the hell Levi was.


	9. Chapter Two REWRITE: Forgotten at the Airport

**So the only reason why this chapter came out so fast was because I didn't change much. I only fixed a few mistakes and added a little more detail in certain places because I actually liked this chapter.**

The hum of the plane surrounded the passengers. Some found it relaxing, deciding to take a nap and loudly snore, aggravating the other occupants. Others seemed to be incredibly frightened by the whole ordeal, their quicken breaths could be heard from the next aisle over. Levi, however, simply found the entire experience incredibly annoying. He had always hated flying, despite having to do so for the past five years. Earplugs usually made the experience a tiny bit more tolerable, but just his luck, he had somehow forgotten them in his hotel room in D.C., the last stop on his worldwide book tour. His book, "Judge of the Angels", has somehow become a worldwide phenomenon, a fact that completely baffles him to this day. Who knew that a cheesy love story that was self-published could go on to be printed in so many languages and read by women and men alike. It just did not make any sense to him, and even though he was happy to have the cash, he kind of felt like he did not deserve it. He placed minimum effort into writing that book and decided to publish it on a whim, but he somehow became a celebrity because of it while there were others out there pouring their hearts and souls into their novels and won't even be looked at twice. It just didn't sit well with him. This wealth almost seemed like it belonged to somebody else.

Anyway, he was relieved he finally was coming home. Incidentally, he had sold his house a long time ago, not planning to ever return the shitty, dead end town of Trost. The world, however, was much larger and different than Levi could have ever imagined, causing him to miss the stability and certainty the small town offered. So, his good friend Hange was willing to allow him to stay at her place until he found a new one, which won't be a money issue, just an issue of being a picky person. But hopefully, the ordeal won't take too long since he was not sure how long he could stand Hange. Yes, she was his friend, but she also was a messy, loud individual who's soul purpose was to annoy everyone around her. She never cleaned up after herself and probably only showered once a month. Her voice was always turned up to max volume that even a deaf person would be able to pick up her wavelengths. Levi was her friend but it wouldn't be below him to knock her out to give himself and the rest of humanity a break from such a strange creature. Maybe if it got too much for him, he could convince Erwin to allow him to crash at his house for a few days before he murdered Hange?

"Everyone, please fasten your seat belts. We will begin our descent shortly." An old, tired voice sounded over the intercom. Levi sighed as he did what he was ordered. 

After exiting the plane and entering the airport, Levi immediately made his way to the parking lot. Even though he felt like he was starving, he passed the overly expensive cafes and little pretzel shops the building slapped in there. He wanted-no NEEDED to get home. He was fucking tired of this place, even though he just arrived. He hadn't visited his hometown in years and was eager for a rest. No more airports. No more bag checks. No more annoyingly happy flight attendants. Just home.

~

"Hange, where the hell are you?" His voice bit into the phone. He had been wandering the parking lot for twenty minutes, but for the love of God could not find the greasy-haired woman's truck. Did she get a new vehicle or something and didn't bother to inform him?

"Oh, Levi! I can't wait to see you! I'm at my house." Her voice screamed into the speaker, causing Levi to hold the device a few inches away from his offended eardrum.

Levi's jaw clenched. "At your house, you say?" 

"Uh-huh! I was just at the Survey Corps, but Erwin was being a little bitc-"

"Hange...do you not fucking recall our conversation from last night? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TO PICK ME UP FROM THIS SHITTY AIRPORT!" He shouted into the phone, causing many strangers to stare at him while they passed by, earning a glare from him in return. 

She laughed nervously. "O-Oh yeah...I probably was not listening too well." He envisioned her scratching the back of her head as she used to always do when Levi would fuss her. Man, he really wanted to shove his boot down her throat. 

"Yeah, no shit." Levi kicked a nearby rock in frustration. Great. He was going from a first class flight to sitting on a filthy bus, surrounded by disgusting individuals who probably have never seen a bathtub in their entire lives.

"W-Well, stay right there! It's only like a thirty-minute drive. I'll even run a few red lights to get to ya!" Shuffling and the sound of keys could be heard in the background.

"Don't fucking skip lights-"

Beeeeeep. Did this bitch really just hang up on him? With a heavy sigh, Levi trudged his way out of the cold and back into the airport, luggage in tow. He found the closest bench and plopped down, pulling out his phone to browse FaceBook or some other useless shit while he waited for Hange. This was going to feel like an eternity.

~

With a roll of his eyes, he stood up from his spot and exited the large glass doors to peer out into the lot. He noticed a large grey pickup truck with mud caked to the side of it and the passenger window had been cracked. He spotted Hange sitting in the driver's side, holding up both middle fingers to a car that was passing by, presumingly the car she was yelling at on the phone. It was a minivan that had one of those family stickers on the back window, so she was probably telling the kids to 'fuck off' as well. After gently placing his belongings in the bed of the truck, he walked up and lightly tapped on the window with his knuckle. Hange snapped out of her 'flip the bird' trance and shot her head toward him. A squeal could be heard before she threw herself over to his side, having to unlock the door manually. After Levi pulled it open, Hange grabbed him by the arm, tugging him inside and trapping him in a bear hug.

"Ah, my little munchkin! I've missed you so much!" She nuzzled her face into his raven hair aggressively, causing it to spike up a bit. 

"Oh my god, get the fuck off, Shitty Glasses. I haven't missed you at all." He shoved her body. Surprisingly, she let him go and placed her hands onto the steering wheel. 

"You wound me, Midget." The bespectacled woman gave a fake pout, before pressing her foot on the gas. "So first we're going to the bakery to convince Erwin to leave. After that, we can go get shitfaced! But let me tell ya, it's gonna be tough. He's turned into such a hard ass! You won't believe what he said, Levi! He said-"

Levi quit listening to her rambling. Even though he had spoken with woman constantly on the phone (to her insistence, of course), hearing her in person truly made him want to choke her with a rope. Don't get him wrong, Hange is one of his closest, most loyal friends and he would do anything for her, but that does not mean he wants her to speak 24/7. 

Looking around, he noticed many empty McDonald's cups and bags, causing the raven to grimace. The smell of rotten food also was prevalent in the truck along with many unidentified stains, causing the feeling of vomiting to make its to his stomach. He looked over to Hange to fuss her, but could not help but be frozen by the spit flying out of her mouth as she yelled and raved about something...

Maybe taking the bus would indeed have been cleaner.

-Eren's POV-

Jean left about an hour ago, something about a family emergency, but Eren knew he was lying. Jean was just making an excuse to leave early so he could avoid cleaning duty. He guessed he deserved it for getting to work late, but morning duties aren't even close to being as hard as closing duties. There was a lot more cleaning involved and counting money which meant math and Eren HATED math. He sighed as he wiped down the counter. There weren't many customers, but he still had to clean like a bunch of people who just came from mud wrestling invaded the place. Since the Survey Corps was a food establishment, he guessed it was necessary, but he still thought it was a little overkill.

"Eren, have you counted the registers yet?" Erwin emerged from the back room, coat on but probably not ready to leave. 

He shook his head. "No, Jean clocked out early like a douche so I have to do everything."

Erwin huffed. "That boy is so lazy." He walked over to the right register and began to count its contents, relieving Eren of some of the workload. 

Eren's emerald eyes glanced over to the clock positioned on the wall. It was already 9:35. "It's getting late. Is Hange coming back?"

"Probably. The way she was talking earlier you'd think Levi would've been arriving within the hour." Erwin now had a stack of twenties in his hand, peeling through them as if they were pages from a book. 

Erwin actually let out a small chuckle at his words, shaking his head in amusement. "No. No. He's nothing like Hange, almost the opposite really. He's just an old friend who's been gone for awhile." 

Eren blinked at this response. If this person is also divergent of Hange like Erwin was, then why the fuck do they tolerate her?! She's a health hazard to them and everyone in a nearby five by five radius. "So why do you guys-"

"ERWINNNNN!" Hange's voice sounded muffled through the locked glass doors. She slammed one of her hands against the clear barrier. The other held onto the wrist of a stranger, who's appearance was mostly shielded by Hange's flailing form. "Open up! Our Messiah has arrived." She stated in a sing-song tone. 

His eyes widened, and Erwin immediately re-locked the register. Eren had never seen Erwin stuck in such an expression, and it honestly frightened him a bit. Erwin's feet staggered from behind the counter to the waving Hange. Eren couldn't help but feel nervous for the tornado that was about to explode into the building, especially when he just swept and mop. Erwin unlocked the doors, giving Hange the opportunity to push the door open, nearly knocking the blonde giant over.

"I come bearing a gift." She soon dragged in a very short, constipated looking man. A deep, threatening scowl was present of his incredibly pale features, grey eyes squinting at the bakery around him. The first thing Eren noticed was how clean and perfect the man appeared to be. His equally black sweater and jacket did not possess a single wrinkle and his boots appeared to be freshly polished for their shine almost caused Eren to go blind. The man also had neat undercut and the rest of his onyx hair looked as if it had never been tangled in his life. His gloved hand somehow wiggled its way out of Hange's grip, a skill that impressed the brunette. He's never seen someone escape Hange's grasp so easily. 

"Well, at least this place looks a hell of a lot better. Can't say the thing about you, Eyebrows." His deep voice filled the bakery, almost causing Eren to flinch. He wasn't quite sure why though. 

Erwin laughed. "And I've missed you too, old friend." Erwin walked forward, giving who was presumingly Levi a brief hug, clapping him on the back few times, something that seemed to agitate the raven. "You'll need to inform me of your adventures, Levi. I'm sure lots has happened over the past five years."

"And what about you? I can't be the only one who's been busy. This place is huge now compared to that shitty space you had before. Did you knock down a couple walls or something?" Levi leaned on a nearby table, not even once glancing up to meet Eren's gaze, something the green-eyed boy found rude, but he surely wasn't going to be the first to say something. He continued to wipe down the counter, noticing a coffee stain from early when Connie came by and ordered five coffees. Whether he was with someone or he was going to drink them all was never stated but Eren at the moment did not care. 

"Actually yeah. I bought the old tea shop next door and expanded the building. Hange and Eren helped with the demolishing, of course."

Hange swung her arms down like she was holding onto a hammer, almost hitting Levi. The latter of which's face was now morphed into confusion.

"Who the hell is Eren?" This caused Hange to gasp loudly before rushing over the 19-year-old's side and trapping him in a hug. 

"What do you mean 'Who the hell is Eren'?! Is that some sort of joke or- Wait I haven't told you yet." Eren sighed loudly, dropping his head low and waited for the Hange to release him from her grip. When she continued to hug him, he looked up to lock eyes with the raven.

"I'm Eren, sir. I work here."  Eren gave a short, embarrassed wave. Levi's silver orbs were now trained on him. It felt like the short man was judging every inch of his being. 

"He's also Erwin and I's fake adopted son. And he's also a big help around here! " Hange added, causing both him and Erwin to roll his eyes.

Levi raised a thin eyebrow at this but did not comment. Instead, he shot Eren a curt nod in response. 

Eren nodded. An awkward silence then crept its way through the room, making everyone uncomfortable. What was even weirder was Hange was still hugging him for no reason, surely making them both look like dumb asses. Erwin cleared his throat. "Um well, Eren you can go home early. I'll take care of everything else." He made a quick glance towards Levi before setting his gaze back toward Eren. 

"Um. Yes, sir." Hange was quiet now. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before mumbling something about 'be safe'. And with that, Eren hung up his apron and exited the building, Levi's eyes following him the whole time.

 


	10. Chapter Three and Four REWRITE: Tears and Injuries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I forgot to tell y'all I was going to be missing for a week or so since I was in DC...oops.

This kid was definitely not from around here.

Unless Trost somehow got a sudden increase in population (which he highly doubted), Levi was confident that he knew every face in this town. It was incredibly small and insignificant and the only people who ever moved here were college students looking to attend Trost University. There was also the fact that this Eren character had a very exotic feel to him. He held the appearance of some sort of islander with his thick messy chestnut hair tied into a loose bun and beautifully tanned skin that possessed a few tiny scars here and there but didn't take away from its overall attractiveness. But what definitely took the cake for this boy's aesthetically pleasing features were his vibrant green eyes that seemed to shine all on their own. If Levi looked hard enough, he could spot little flakes of gold swimming around in those teal pools. The guy could only be categorized as breath-taking.

"Mind explaining who that was, hm?" Levi asked after Eren walked out of the building, noticeably without any sort of jacket or extra sweater on. Even though his voice held his usual monotone key to it, he was genuinely interested to know about this kid. Not so much because of the fact that he was some serious eye candy (for Levi has had MANY beautiful lovers in the past), but more so because of Erwin's odd behavior around this Eren and Hange's overprotectiveness over him. She wrapped her arms around him as if he were a puppy that Levi was prepared to punt though an imaginary field goal. And not to mention Erwin's face which was twisted up in nervousness, an emotion Levi wasn't aware the blonde could feel.

Hange and Erwin's eyes traveled to one another's, almost daring one of them to speak first. Eventually, Erwin let out a long sigh before crossing his arms. "Well, since you're probably going to be around a lot more often, it only makes sense for you to know. Though, I'm not very fond of speaking of other's business."

Hange's body stiffened as Erwin began. "We ourselves do not actually know much about the exact situation, but from what we've managed to pry out of his is that he left home when he turned seventeen for one reason or another and was struggling to make ends meet." He paused. "Well, still is struggling."

Levi furrowed his brown. This was what they were so jumpy about? A brat runs away from home and now is having money issues. He's seen all before. More like a shitty hallmark movie plot than an actual issue if you asked him. "I don't see why that's something to be so fucking tense about. That happens all the ti-"

"I know you're going to be mad at me but wait till I finish." Hange unexpectedly blurted out. She was skittish, rubbing her hands together as if she were incredibly cold. "So I met Eren about two years ago." Of course, she was the one who met him. "One night while I was driving home from the animal hospital, I saw this random kid standing out on the street in the middle of winter with like BARELY any clothes on. So I pulled over- don't give me that look Levi. I pulled over and asked if he was okay. Long fucking story short, turns out he's a teenage prostitute."

Levi wanted to punch her in the face. "So, let me get this straight...You're telling me you, very stupidly may I add, picked up a goddamn prostitute."

"He was seventeen, Levi! You should've seen how skinny he was! The poor thing was starving." She threw her hands up in the air.

"That's still dangerous, you idiot! What if he robbed you? Or worse?!" Levi was clearly not impressed. He was a prostitute, not a stray cat. If this is what Hange does when he leaves, he might as well just stay forever.

"Well, he didn't, so shut up."

"I had that concern too, Levi," Erwin started. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he continued. "She brought him here right when I was closing. I'll admit that I was highly skeptical at first, but he looked so scared and confused that it was hard NOT to pity him. I'm sure Hange dragging him into her car didn't help." Erwin shot her a look to which she only shrugged at. "Anyway, I made him a loaf of bread and sent him on his way, even though Hange kept begging to let him stay. But you know what they say about strays, feed them once and they'll keep coming back. He came back each night for about a month looking for food. After speaking to him, I realized he's just a helpless kid who lost his way. I couldn't just let him go back out there."

Levi sighed. "And let me guess, you gave him a job." Wow. This really was a shitty Hallmark movie.

"Yeah, he did and he turned out to be an amazing kid!" Hange shouted. "You saw him earlier, he was polite as can be! Eren is not some filthy criminal and if you're still our friend, then you're most definitely are gonna be around him a lot so QUIT BEING AN ASSHOLE!"

"Jesus four eyes, calm down. The only one being an asshole is you. I never said he was a bad person. I just asked WHAT IF he was. You don't need to be picking random strangers off the street. Your ass just got lucky that this stranger was harmless."

"Whatever, Levi. Just don't bring any of this up. He's an awesome, hardworking guy who doesn't need you bullying him" Hange began to turn and stomp her way out of the cafe. "I hope you remember where I live cause I'm not driving your ass anywhere!" She stubbornly shouted, picking up a nearby plate and shattering it onto the ground before running out of the glass doors like the fucking maniac she is.

Erwin sighed. "I guess I've got to clean that up now. I suppose you'll need a ride now, Levi? I'll be about an hour finishing up closing procedures so-"

"Nah, I'll just call a taxi or something." He grumbled before exiting the Survey Corps, leaving Erwin standing there alone.

~

Just his luck, his phone had died but after walking about three blocks, he managed to pull over a taxi. The driver did not look too happy with Levi's sudden appearance, probably on his way home, but when Levi pulled out a roll of twenties from his satchel, the driver's mood quickly lifted.

Leaning his head against the back seat window, Levi's thoughts navigated to the strange conversation that just transpired. Hange became so angry with him even though he barely said a word. He merely warned her about the obvious consequences picking up prostitutes would bring. Hell, picking up any random strange hanging out on the side of the road was dangerous. She's just lucky the person turned out to be a nice kid who was simply down of his luck and not some angry drug addict who would've murdered and robbed her.

Speaking of the brat, his thoughts began to travel back to him. He couldn't imagine such a gorgeous, polite soul had to go through whatever is happening in his life. Levi wasn't aware of the complete situation, but if he had to turn to prostitution, he knew it couldn't be all that great. Though he does think everyone should go through at least one horrible struggle in their lives. Not that he's saying that Eren deserved any of this, these terrible experiences should only strengthen the kid, not make him weaker. Though he does think everyone should go through at least one horrible struggle in their lives. Not that he's saying that Eren deserved any of this, these terrible experiences should only strengthen the kid, not make him weaker.  He seemed really important to Hange and Erwin, so Levi would have to try his best to pry for details, but he had to admit that his little story only stirred his curiosity further.

The driver turned another corner, before stopping at an old, rundown apartment building. "Alright, this is your stop."

Levi's head shot forward. "What? No, this isn't right." It's been five years since he's visited, so his memory was bound to be rusty, however, he was certain Hange didn't live anywhere near here. This place had to be on the complete opposite end of town!

"Listen, dude. This is where you told me to go. I gotta get home, man. My shift ended thirty minutes ago and I'm not willing to drive you anywhere else." The driver grumbled. "Well, unless you've got another stack of twenties you can throw my way, that is."

Levi pulled a face, contemplating whether he should offer more money to this obvious scammer or not. He certainly had a lot of it. So much that he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. After a second, however, Levi huffed and opened the car door and stepped out. This asshole didn't deserve any more of his money. He'll find another way home. Fuck people, man. He hated everybody. As he trudged through the cold and snow, he continuously grumbled under his breath, complaining about nothing and everything at the same time. Damn Hange with her overreacting. When he woke up tomorrow, he was immediately going to start looking at new places to live. Forget living with her crazy ass. Hell, he could probably rent an apartment for a month or two while he searched. Just anywhere that'll be far away from her.

Suddenly, Levi ran into a very hard, very large wall, knocking him to the ground. Now with his ass on the cold, wet ground, Levi was definitely not a happy camper. He glanced up, hand now placed on his forehead to see that he, in fact, had not run into a wall, but a person. This was yet another person whom he did not recognize. He couldn't see him too well due to the scarf wrapped around his face, but he did spot glasses and neatly combed blonde hair sitting atop his head. Of course, he realized the incredible height of this man, probably matching the giant, Erwin himself. The stranger said nothing as he continued rather quickly on his journey. This town must really be going to shit if it's filled with prostitutes and giant, rude assholes who push people to the ground and don't even apologize.

Standing up from his current position, and about to begin walking to... nowhere honestly, his ears caught the faintest noise sounding through the empty streets. After a while, he realized that it was the sound of strangled crying. Someone nearby was sobbing. Whipping his head to the left and right, he saw no one who could be the possible source. Walking a few steps further, the cries became noticeably louder, especially in his left ear. Passing an alleyway, he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of what looked to be someone's shoe thrown in the middle. Listening closely, the sobs were coming from down here.

Would he seem like a hypocrite for going to check on this person? He just fussed Hange for interacting with strange, unknown people, and someone crying in the alleyway surely made that category. But what if they were hurt? What if they were laying there dying and Levi did nothing to stop it? He'd hate to turn on the news one day to see a report of a dead body found in this very alleyway and he did nothing to prevent that.

There's nothing wrong with just checking, right? With a grumble of a simple "Fuck it." Levi slowly approached the clearly upset figure. Long, messy brown hair was the first thing to come into view. The chestnut follicles shielded Levi from view of the person's face, but he could tell they were male by their broad shoulders. He couldn't see much else due to the darkness and the person's curled up body.

"Um...Are you alright?" His gruff voice sounded from a few feet away, not wanting to get too close in case this person was unstable. The man's body stiffened a bit before his head slowly turned towards Levi. Creepily, the man's hair still covered his face, making him look like a ghost from a horror movie.

"M-Mr. Levi?" A low, but slightly familiar voice rang. Squinting his eyes, he could barely make out certain facial features.

"Ah," He figured it out. "didn't I tell you to just call me Levi?" He took a few steps closer, stopping in front of the teen. "Tears, huh?" He was now crouched to his level. His hand moved to place Eren's hair away from his face, but his hand was quickly slapped away.

"I'm fine, seriously." Eren's hand was brought closer to his chest. A quiet sniffle could be heard as he stared at Levi.

"Well, from the looks of it, you're not. People who are fine don't sit and cry in the snow in a dark alley." He once again moved to get the brown locks from out of his face.

"I SAID I'M FINE, OKAY!" He suddenly shouted, pushing Levi to the ground and away from him. Levi groaned when his back hit the hard surface. This is the second time this had happened in a five-minute time span, and Levi was really getting tired of it. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean it." Eren softly mumbled. Eren's hair was moved now, probably happened during the process of shoving Levi.

"You've got a black eye, brat. And is that blood coming out of your fucking nose?"

**(EREN'S POV)**

Eren lifted a shaky hand towards his nose. Sure enough, a warm liquid was present when he made contact with his skin. In fact, there was a lot of blood on his face from what he could feel. His eyes find their way to his lap, not wanting to look at this stranger, a pitying look bound to be present of his features. He didn't want to hear the obvious questions that would come with him being found beaten up in an alleyway.

"Do you live around here, brat?" Eren's head shot up. He wasn't expecting that to be the first question. Usually, people start with something along the lines of 'what happened?' or 'do I need to call the police?'

"I, uh..." Levi's silver eyes bored into him, a glare digging into his kin. Is it safe to tell him where he lives? Yes, he is a friend of Hange and Erwin, and he probably does need help walking to his room, but he still doesn't know this man. The cold look he gave Eren didn't help to calm his nerves either.

"Come on, kid. I don't have all day."

Eren blinked. "Um... yeah. I live in this building. Fourth floor." He responded quietly.

Levi said nothing as he stood. After brushing his pants off slightly, his hand suddenly wrapped itself around Eren's arm, and he was quickly hoisted up by the man. Levi slung Eren's arm over his shoulder, practically dragging him from the alley and into the building

~

Getting him up and to his room had been a journey all on its own. His left knee was killing him so Levi practically had to do all the walking while holding most of Eren's weight. It didn't help that the shitty elevator was broken again, so Levi basically carried him up four flights of stairs. Also, his key was missing, probably left somewhere down in the alley, so Levi had to sit Eren down by his door and pick the lock himself, a kill that frightened Eren a little. After what felt like forever, he was finally placed onto his worn loveseat situated in his cramp apartment.

"Where're your painkillers? I'm sure you need some right now."

Eren snapped out of his thoughts. "T-They should be in the bathroom. Down the hall to the right, check the medicine cabinet."

Levi nodded before disappearing into the hall. He heard that bathroom door open and quiet rummaging. Truth be told, Eren had no idea if he even had any painkillers left but might as well check, because Levi was correct. He really needed some fucking pain relief right now. He brought his hand to his throbbing head in order to massage his temple to hopefully help make the pain go away, to no avail.

Levi returned. "Your place is a fucking pigsty, kid. Have you ever heard of a little thing called 'organization'?" In his grip, he saw a wet washcloth, but no pills. "You don't have any painkillers or medicine in general for that matter." Levi knelt down in front of him, placing the cloth onto his face and wiping away the blood. Eren sat there awkwardly, attempting to look anywhere but at this stranger. He was sure an embarrassed blush found its way to his face.

"You have a phone or something? Mine is dead." Levi's monotone voice entered his ears.

"I don't, sorry. And I'd prefer if you didn't contact the police anyway, sir." Levi's eye twitched at the word 'sir', but he didn't comment of it. Eren really needed to get his good manners under control, because apparently, this guy was NOT a fan.

"I wasn't planning on that. I was just going to call Hange since I don't have a ride. She probably would want to look at you though. Your nose is probably broken and I'm sure you're supposed to use knees for walking and not limping."

Some sort of 'huff' escaped Eren's throat after hearing what he supposed was a joke. "Well, I usually use Armin's phone, but I'm not sure if he's awake. It's almost one in the morning, y'know. He lives next door."

"Well, he's about to be awake in a few seconds." Levi made his way to the door.

"Um, wait! Mr. -I mean Levi, I'd rather you not tell Hange. I don't want her to worry." His voice sounded quiet to his own ears. He wasn't even sure if Levi heard him.

Levi turned back to him, arms now crossed. "She's going to find out anyway when she sees you again. You're covered in cuts and bruises, kid. What do you think is going to happen to me if she finds out I knew you got hurt? You seem to be her unfortunate little pet, and I'm not about to be murdered because I didn't take up the duty of babysitter." His voice did not sound amused, nor has it have since Eren has met this man. He turned away from him, not saying another word as he opened the door.  Eren didn't try to stop him this time. Eren didn't try to stop him this time.

As Levi left to probably harass his friend, Eren became lost in his thoughts. Why was this man helping him? As he said, Eren was Hange's self-proclaimed responsibility so he was doing it for her, but this seemed like a bit much. Levi seemed like the opposite of a people person, so there was no indication that he had the heart to carry Eren up four flights of stairs. He felt awkward about this whole situation. He had no way to pay back Levi for his good deeds (not that he knew if Levi was expecting anything in return for this). This little 'alleyway encounter' has happened many times before, but never once has someone helped with the aftermath. 

In a way, he was grateful that the person to help him was this cold stranger. He didn't seem curious as to why Eren had the crap beaten out of him at one AM. Or if he was curious, he didn't find it necessary to ask any questions and dig into his business. He simply picked him up, dusted him off, and dumped him in his room. The only unfortunate thing was that Levi was bringing over people who would poke and prod until they got every last drop of information he'd allow set free. 

"OH MY GOD! EREN, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Speaking of which, Armin has just decided to break down his door. Eren glanced over to see his blonde friend's panicked face, Levi standing almost expectantly behind him. He was correct to assume that Armin was asleep due to the embarrassing sheep printed pajamas he wore and disheveled hair. Armin rushed over to him, hands now cupping his cheeks and searching for every single injury possible. "You need ice! I'll be right back!"  

 As Armin sprinted out the door, Eren turned toward Levi. "I texted her since I know she was going to be screaming. She'll be here soon." 

~

The night went on as expected. Armin played doctor with my face, threatening to contact his sister, Mikasa, the entire time, Hange ran in crying, Erwin right behind her, and an interrogation ensued. Like always, Eren didn't answer their questions, earning him many annoyed looks and concerned comments. Levi went outside during this time, mumbling something about needing a cigarette.  

Hange wanted to drag him to the emergency room, even after Armin deduced that his nose wasn't broken, he just had a really nasty cut and his knee was badly bruised. The clock read 3:36 AM when Erwin finally dragged Hange out of Eren's room. Armin decided to stay the night to keep an eye on him, something that he appreciated very much. 

However, he still didn't get any sleep that night.


End file.
